Last week, I went to Washington, D.C. to attend a conference sponsored by the National Crime Victim Bar Association. While there, I heard Julie Shontere and Keith Franz speak. Ms. Shontere’s daughter was killed in the 9/11 crash at the Pentagon, and Mr. Franz was the attorney that represented the Shontere family. Ms. Shontere basically had [...]
Missouri Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund
Missouri crime victims need to know about the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund. It is a government sponsored program that allows crime victims to recover certain out of pocket expenses when there is no other source for financial relief. Essentially, the program works like this: Missouri collects a fee from each criminal defendant as part of [...]
Free Legal Advice for Missouri Storm Victims
Normally, this blog is dedicated to information for Missouri crime victims. However, given the recent storms and tornadoes throughout Missouri, it is now time to reach out to victims of Mother Nature. If you are a Missouri storm victim that encounters a legal issue, you can contact the Missouri Bar Assocation at 1-800-829-4128. An operator will put you in contact with one of [...]
Out of the Ashes: 9/11
With all of the media coverage surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden, it is natural to think about the victims of 9/11. As such, I would recommend that you watch the movie, “Out of the Ashes: 9/11.” This documentary profiles seven families that lost loved ones in the attacks on the World Trade Center [...]
Attack on shoppers nets 1.6 million in damages despite psychiatric finding in criminal case
A jury in Maryland awarded two women a total of $1.6 million in damages against Nordstrom department store after they were attacked by a woman with 4 knives. The company was held responsible for the injuries because they failed to follow safety procedures for the protection of their customers. The assailant was in the store [...]
Match.com and Third Party Liability
Recently, a California crime victim filed a lawsuit against the online dating company Match.com because she was sexually assaulted by a man she met through their service. What is disturbing is that the man had been convicted six prior times of sexual crimes, yet Match.com allowed him to use their service to meet this woman. [...]
Crime Victim Parents Sue Facebook
Ronald and Martha Wimmer were victimized twice. First, their daughter was strangled in 2009. Their grief later turned to anger when they found out that the responding paramedic took pictures of their daughter’s body and posted them on Facebook. Now they are fighting back. Read the full story here. These crime victims are suing Facebook. The attorney [...]
Missouri Case.net
A great tool for the Missouri crime victim is Case.net. This is a state operated website that provides critical information about civil and criminal cases. First-time users are surprised at the wealth of information that Case.net contains. There is no fee to use Case.net, nor does it require any type of registration. Instead, users can [...]
The Difference Between Criminal Law & Civil Law
Knowing the difference between criminal law and civil law is critical in understanding your options as a crime victim. The criminal law system is generally focused on the punishment of an individual who has committed a crime against society. Cases are brought by a prosecuting attorney against the criminal defendant. Typical outcomes of a criminal [...]
How Is Bond Determined?
Crime victims sometimes have questions about how bond is set in a Missouri criminal case. Judges generally use two factors in determining the appropriate bond. First of all, the judge will determine whether the defendant represents a risk of danger to the community. If a defendant is alleged to have committed a violent offense, his [...]
